Zachary Kluckman is a multi-award winning author, poet and spoken word artist recently named the 2014 Slam Artist of the Year at the National Poetry Awards, and an accomplished de-tangler of string cheese. A two-time member of the Albuquerque National Poetry Slam team, and touring artist, he has performed across the nation, sharing the stage with many...read more of the top artists in the world. His writing, performances and workshops around the world have earned him distinction, but at heart he is an activist, youth advocate and community organizer. In 2014 he received a Gold Medal award from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards as a Teacher for his work with young writers. He is a founding organizer of the 100 Thousand Poets for Change program, an annual event involving artists and activists in over 100 countries, recognized as the largest poetry reading in history. Kluckman serves as the Spoken Word Editor for the Pedestal magazine and is the author of three books including Per-City Poems (Dichotomy Dances Press, 2006), the Red Mountain Press National Poetry Prize winning Animals in Our Flesh (Red Mountain Press, 2013), and Some of It is Muscle (Swimming With Elephants Publications, 2014), a finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards. He has also edited two anthologies, including the New Mexico Book Awards finalist, Earthships: A New Mecca Poetry Anthology (Horse & Tiger Press, 2007) and Trigger Warning: Poetry Saved My Life (Swimming With Elephants Publications, 2014).